Cover for a washing and centrifuging machine



H. HERBERTZ 3,362,199

COVER FOR A WASHING AND CENTRIFUGING yMACHINE Jan. 9, 1968 Filed Oct.3l, 1966 United States Patent O 3,362,199 CQVER FR A WASHING ANDCENTRIFUGING MACHINE Heinz Herbertz, Aachen, Germany, assignor to H.Krantz, a firm Filed Oct. 31, 1966, Ser. No. 590,702 Claims priority,application Germany, Nov. 24, 1965, K 57,728 7 Claims. (Cl. (iS- 210)ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure sets forth a covercombination for a washing and centrifuging machine, which has a swingingoutside cover for the receptacle and a retractable inside cover for thedrum. The outside swinging cover is provided with a recess in which theretractable cover is positioned upon the opening and from which it isprojected aganst the drum during washing and centrifuging.

The present invention relates to a cover for a washing andcentrifugingmachine and it particularly relates to a cover arrangement which may beemployed for securely covering such a washing and centrifuging machinewhen in operation and at the same time be readily opened so as to permitready discharge of material therefrom or supply of new material to beprocessed therein.

Although not limited thereto, the present invention will be particularlydescribed in its application to the use of hydraulic or pneumaticcylinders for the opening or closing of housings or drums for clothes ortextile washing and centrifuging machines.

Such covers must be designed so that they will securely close theopening of the housing as well as the opening of the drum or basketrotatably arranged in the housing so that any treating liquids will besecurely retained therein without leakage and so that liquids and steammay be readily supplied thereinto.

It is also important that the textile materials or other fabrics orclothing being processed in the rotating drum or centrifuge be heldwithin the drum and not be permitted to emerge from the drum during thewashing or treating procedures with lodgement between the inner wall ofthe housing and the outer wall of the drum or basket.

It is not altogether satisfactory to provide separate covers for closingthe drum opening and the housing opening. This operation provides for adouble pivot system and double lever system and requires double lockingand there is the further diiculty that the drum cover must be connectedwith the drum by linkages or levers which interfere with the loading andunloading of the rotatable drum.

If an altogether detachable or separate cover is provided for the drumor basket there is always the possibility and likelihood that one mayforget to close the rotating drum with the lodgement of the clothes orlaundry between the outside of the drum and the inside of the housing.Furthermore, where a cover is provided which jointly closes both thehousing opening and the rotatable drum opening, such cover must be withdifficulty articulated in respect to the housing and it is difficult toactuate such articulated cover so that both closures are achieved. Thisis particularly so where the cover for the drum must have a differentdiameter than the cover for the housing and where the pivotal mountingsmust be necessarily differently positioned for each cover.

Furthermore, such articulated or spaced covering devices will interferewith loading and unloading of the rotatable drum or basket unless theyare swung out of 3,36%@9 Patented Jan. 9, i968 ICC position by at least180, which is quite diicult with normal hydraulic or pneumaticcylinders.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a swingingcover which only requires a limited motion of not over and which willnot interfere wth the loading and unloading procedures but will provideslideways or guideways facilitating the same.

Still further objects and advantages will appear in the more detaileddescription set forth below, it being understood, however, that thismore detailed description is given by way of illustration andexplanation only and not by way of limitation, since various changestherein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing fromthe scope and spirit of the present invention.

In accomplishing the above objects it has been found most satisfactoryto provide a recessed cover in which is provided `a recess receiving areciprocal pot or insert or inside cover which when the recessed outsidecover is closed may be extended inwardly to serve as a cover for therotatable basket and when the cover is swung outwardly will be retractedinto the said recess and form a smooth surface for enabling discharge orsupply of textile material or clothing into or from the basket.

In one preferred form of the invention pneumatic cylinders with pistonrods will actuate the cover so as to press the pot or insert into thecover when the cover is open or to pull it into the recess in theopening of the basket or rotating receiver when the cover is closed.Thus it is possible by a single pair of pneumatic cylinders with theirpiston rods to actuate the cover and both sides of the apparatus withoutany actuating means for the reciprocal pot or insert.

This may be accomplished by providing guide pins or rods which willextend outwardly to both sides of the housing and prevent cantingthereof in its closing and opening operations.

An important feature of the present invention resides in the fact thatthe pot lor insert may be so connected with an exterior conduit systemso as to feed liquid treating agents and steam into the interior of therotatable drum and cylindrical housing of the washing or centrifugin-gmachine. The portion of the insert or pot closing the opening of thebasket or drum may be provided with the means to feed the steam andtreating fluids directly into the interior of the basket.

This will assure `acceleration of the washing and rinsing processes andralso aid in more uniform penetration from inside to outside of thefluids from the inside of the drum to the outside through the textilematerial or clothes therein. This greatly shortens the time required forpermeation of the textile materials or clothing by the washing agent.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention consists ofthe novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts ashereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention,but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modificationscan be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claims hereuntoappended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote correspondingparts throughout the several views:

FIG. l is a diagrammatic inside plan view of the inside of the cover ofthe washing and centrifuging machine.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic side view of the washing and centrifugingmachine with the cover in closed position.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic side View similar to FIG. 2 showing the coveropen and in unloading position.

Referring to FIG. l, the cover A has a rectangular base portion 1 whichwill close off the opening of the cylindrical housing B having the topplate C and the base plate D. Within the housing is the rotating drum orbasket 3 E driven through the base F and the shaft G. The rectangularcover structure 1 carries the cylindrical insert closure portion 2 whichwill be inserted into and close the circular opening 50 of the housingB.

The insert 2 is provided with the laterally extending guide pins or rods4 and 5 which are located on opposite sides of the insert 2 and whichslide in the grooves 6 and 7 in the end elements 51 and 52 mounted onthe underside 3 of the rectangular structure 1.

A transparent window 9 is provided on the center portion S of the insert2. This window may coincide with a transparent window 10 on the outsideface 53 of the cover structure 1.

Hollow supporting arms 11 and 12 extend beyond both end edges 54 of thecover structure 1 and at their ends they are provided with the conduits13 and 14.

As indicated in FIG. 3, the conduit 14 will extend downwardly from thecover structure 1 alongside of the housing B and it will lead to theconduit 16 for supplying steam that may be fed into the housing B. Atthe other side leading to the conduit 13 will be the conduit 13 forsupplying wash and rinsing water and also various detergent or othersolutions.

The inside ends 54 and 55 of the hollow arms 11 and 12 which communicatewith the conduits 13 and 14 are provided with the openings 17 and 18which permit passage of the uids into the interior of the insert or pot2 from whence the uids, whether it be steam or liquid, pass through theperforations 19 in the bottom 8 of the pot or insert 2 into the insideof the container B and rotating drum E.

The underside of the hollow arms 11 and 12 adjacent the connections ofthe conduits 13 and 14 are provided with the pivotal connections 20 and21 beyond the edges 50 and 54 of the cover structure 1.

The piston rods 22 actuated from the hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders 23are connected to the pivotal connections 20 and 21. The cylinders 23 arepivotally mounted at 24 on the sides 56 of the cylindrical housing B.

To support the cover structure A there is provided on the side of thehousing B below the opening 50, a shaft 25 supported on the ends thereofaround which the cover structure is swung as shown from the position ofFIG. 2 to the position of FIG. 3, and reversibly.

During the washing and centrifuging operation, the cover A will beclosed as shown in FIG. 2. After the washing and centrifuging operationis completed hydraulic or pneumatic pressure may be applied to thecylinders 23 positioned at each side of the housing B and the pistonrods 22 will be moved outwardly first to push the insert or pot 2 intothe inside of the cover 1 as shown in FIG. 3 until the bottom face 8 ofthe pot or insert 2 will be flush with the inside face of the cover A asshown in FIG. 3 and form a flat surface.

Thereupon, the pins or rods 4 and 5 will transmit the force of thepiston rods 22 to the cover structure A until the cover is swungoutwardly about 90 around the shaft 25 until the edge 57 of the cover Aadjacent the pivot 25 will Contact or be stopped by the supporting block26 on the end face C of the housing B.

When this is accomplished the inside face of the cover A as shown inFIG. 3 will form a discharge surface or slide surface by which thecontents of the rotating drum or basket E may be removed. To load thebasket or drum E again the apparatus as shown in FIG. 3 with the coverin 90 open position may be moved up 90 so that the inside face of thecover A will then form a chute for the loading process.

When the drum E has been filled after emptying, the piston rods 22 areretracted into the cylinders 23 and the cover structure A is pulled downonto the housing B and the `pot or insert 2 is pulled into the opening50 while guided by means of the rods or pins 4 and 5.

The length of the grooves 6 and 7 will limit the movement of the insert2. When the pot or insert 2 is pulled into the opening as shown in FIG.2, its bottom or inside face 8 will form a flush surface with the insideface 58 of the basket or drum E.

The projecting sides and edges of the cover A beyond the pot or insert 2will rest upon the ceiling ring 28 of rubber or other elastic materialand thus seal off the washing liquor space within the basket E andwithin the drum B.

It is thus apparent that the applicant has provided a simple effectivereadily actuated and manipulated cover opening and closing arrangementfor large washing and centrifuging machines which may be readilymodified in accordance with the scope of the present application.

What is claimed is:

1. In a washing and centrifuging machine for laundry and textilearticles of the type having a swinging cylindrical receptacle having atop side and a bottom side, a motor drive shaft axially mounted in saidbottom side, a rotary drum positioned within said receptacle driven bysaid shaft, said drum having a closed bottom side connected to the shaftand a top side having a central filler and discharge opening, said topside of the receptacle also having a central opening to permit access tothe central filler and discharge opening -of the drum and to permitcharging and discharging of the rotatable drum, said receptacle beingheld with its axis horizontal during washing and centrifuging, with itsaxis inclined upwardly through the top during charging and with its axisinclined downwardly through the top wall during discharging; thecombination therewith of a swinging cover for said top side of thereceptacle, a retractable cover for the top side of the drum, a recessin said swinging cover to receive said retractable cover when theswinging cover is moved to discharge position and means to close saidcovers against said openings on the top side of the receptacle and drumduring washing and centrifuging and whilst projecting retractable coverinto the opening in the drum to close the same and to swing the coversaway from the openings during charging and discharging, said swingingcover having outwardly extending arms leading into the retractable coverand said arms having pivotal connections beyond the swinging cover andactuating piston and cylinder means associated with said pivotalconnections.

2. The machine of claim 1, said last mentioned means consisting ofpneumatically operated cylinders provided with piston rods on each sideof the receptacle.

3. The machine of claim 1, said retractable covcr consisting of a hollowpot member having liquid and steam connections for feeding liquid andsteam into the drum and perforations on the inside of the retractablecover to permit ilow of liquids and steam into the interior of the drum.

4. The machine of claim 1, said retractable cover being cylindrical andsaid swinging cover being rectangular and having a central recess insaid retractable cover and guide members in said swinging cover tocontrol and guide the movement of the retractable cover and preventcanting thereof.

5. The machine of claim 1, the bottom wall of the retractable coverbeing flush with the bottom wall of the swinging cover when said coversare away from the openings during charging and discharging.

6. The machine of claim 1, said outer swinging cover having guide meanson the outside thereof to guide the movement of the retractable cover.

7. The machine of claim 1, the outside swinging cover being providedwith a central transparent window and said inside retractable coverhaving a coinciding window on its inside face.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,639,601 5/1953 Miller 68-210 X3,058,330 lO/1962 Grantham 68-210 X WILLIAM VI. PRICE', PrimaryEpmniner.

